Geoff is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team.
Experienced in professional negligence claims against solicitors and other professional service providers, and on residential property disputes between cohabitants which raise questions over beneficial rights entitlement under the 1996 Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act. He also advises on contentious probate and trust disputes, with an emphasis on challenges to will validity and trust administration, and on applications which seek increased financial support under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
Dealing with compensation claims for serious injuries sustained following road traffic accidents, accidents at work or accidents in a public place. He has experience of serious orthopaedic injuries, brain damage, psychiatric injury and amputation cases and is a member of the Law Society’s personal injury panel.
Clients include private individuals, executors, administrators, trustees, beneficiaries and accident victims.
Recent examples of how Geoff has supported clients include:
- negotiating the settlement of a dispute involving family members over life time gifts allegedly made to one family member whereby the recipient repaid a substantial sum to the estate;
- recovering a five-figure sum for a disappointed beneficiary who had expected to inherit a 50 per cent share of property in trust, but whose entitlement was capped at 25 per cent due to defects in the trust deed attributed to the negligence of his mother’s solicitor;
- securing a six-figure setlement for the son of a recently deceased lady who had been persuaded to change her will in the final weeks of her life to leave a substantial sum of money to a friend, despite a question over her mental capacity at the relevant time;
- establishing the existence of a beneficial interest in a residential property which entitled our client to a payment for that interest upon the breakdown of his relationship with the legal owner;
- recovering in excess of £1 million for a passenger who suffered serious orthopaedic injuries and brain damage when the car in which he was travelling was involved in a road traffic accident;
- recovering a substantial six figure sum for a pedestrian who was knocked over whilst crossing the road and suffered serious orthopaedic injuries as a result; and
- recovering a substantial six figure sum for a cyclist who was knocked off his bike whilst taking part in a Lands End to John O’Groats charity ride and who suffered serious orthopaedic injuries.